Tag Archives: Election 2018

“Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (D) on Wednesday named Lt. Gov. Tina Smith (D) to fill Sen. Al Franken’s (D-Minn.) soon-to-be vacated Senate seat. Smith said she intends to run in November 2018 to complete the remaining two years of Franken’s term. … Franken announced his resignation last week in the wake of accusations that he groped and kissed women without their consent. He did not, however, set a date for his departure from the Senate, saying only that he would leave ‘in the coming weeks.’ Smith on Wednesday said she’s spoken with Franken and his staff, and expects he will officially step down some time in early January.” (12/13/17)

“As the President of Venezuela consolidated his party’s hold on power with what appeared to be a landslide win at municipal polls this weekend, he dealt another blow to the country’s main opposition groups by disqualifying them from next year’s bid for the presidency. None of the political parties that boycotted the mayoral race will be allowed to participate in the 2018 presidential election, incumbent Nicolas Maduro said …. In August, Maduro created the Constituent Assembly — a new, all-powerful body — to replace the opposition-dominated National Assembly and seen as vehicle for enforcing the president’s bidding. Maduro said barring opposition parties from next year’s presidential race was in keeping with criteria set by the Constituent Assembly, according to the BBC.” (12/11/17)

“Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore is facing more heavy criticism on Twitter — for more than just the sexual misconduct allegations against him that have dominated headlines for weeks. A comment Moore made at a Florence, Ala., rally in September resurfaced Thursday and struck a chord with many users on the social networking site, including African-American celebrities and politicians. At the rally, an African-American audience member asked Moore when America was last ‘great,’ the Los Angeles Times reported in September. Moore responded in a way that appeared to condone, or at least downplay the impact of, slavery, the Times reported. ‘I think it was great at the time when families were united — even though we had slavery — they cared for one another … . Our families were strong, our country had a direction,’ Moore said, according to the Times.” (12/08/17)

“Russia’s Vladimir Putin has said he will seek another term as president in next year’s election. He made the announcement in a speech to workers at a car factory in the Volga city of Nizhny Novgorod. ‘I will put forward my candidacy for the post of president of the Russian federation,’ he said. Mr Putin has been in power since 2000, either as president or prime minister. If he wins the March election he will be eligible to serve until 2024. Russian TV journalist Ksenia Sobchak has already said she will stand in the election but opinion polls suggest Mr Putin will win easily. Russia’s main opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, has been formally barred from standing because he was found guilty of embezzlement — a charge he claims was politically motivated.” (12/06/17)

“Sen. Dianne Feinstein dodged questions Sunday on whether she is planning to mount a re-election run for a fifth term as a U.S. senator in 2018. During an appearance on CNN’s ‘State of the Union,’ Feinstein, a former San Francisco mayor and the oldest U.S. senator at age 84, quickly sidestepped a question about whether she was ‘up for another’ six-year term. ‘Well, we will see, won’t we?’ Feinstein told Dana Bash, the show’s host. ‘I’m not going to declare on CNN.’ Feinstein’s political future has been the subject of intensifying (and, at times, divisive) speculation within Democratic circles in recent months, which the senator’s remarks Sunday will likely do little to quell.” (09/17/17)

“Let’s be clear: the Libertarian Party is my only political party. Flirtations with the Ron Paul Revolution aside, I’ve only ever had one party affiliation. I don’t consider most Republicans to be that close to libertarianism. I really don’t — I think elected Republicans are fiscally irresponsible, utterly wrong on foreign policy, and terrible on social issues. I don’t see much they have in common with Libertarians, besides their lip service to the words ‘smaller government’ and ‘low taxes’ which none of them seem to actually be interested in acting on — oh, and a little lust for gun rights, unless the gun owner is a black man from Minnesota who gets murdered by a police officer. But, in fairness, I do understand why Libertarians go to the Republican Party to try to impact it.” (07/07/17)

“Since 1994, Brazilian presidential elections follow a pattern: PSDB and PT candidates are the main competitors, with a third candidate falling between the main leaders and countless dwarf candidates. Although this third candidate does not reach the presidency and does not even dispute the second round of the elections, its political influence tends to increase and its support happens to be disputed by the candidates of the PSDB and the PT. So it was mainly with Marina Silva in 2010 and 2014, and possibly will be so with Jair Bolsonaro in 2018.” (05/10/17)

“To the surprise of Britons, this week Prime Minister Theresa May made her boldest move yet by calling a snap general election for June 8. It is a gamble that has caught her political rivals off-guard and promises to be a game-changer for Brexit, the country’s ongoing process of leaving the European Union. … This snap election could give May the personal mandate, large majority, and lengthy timetable she needs in order to secure a successful Brexit. It could also produce a renewed and united Euroskeptic party ready for the parliamentary battles of the future. If May fails to win a landslide majority, then the process of Brexit will be put in jeopardy.” (04/19/17)

“Jean-Luc Melenchon, an insurgent left-wing candidate for France’s presidency, is surging. His candidacy, organized under the newly-established party La France Insoumise (‘Unsubmissive France’) has gone from a quixotic bid to a viable challenge in just a few months. … Many have drawn comparisons between Melenchon and Bernie Sanders. … But there is a major difference between Sanders and Melenchon. The American chose to run within an existing political party, while the Frenchman seeks to compete against them. That’s why, unlike Sanders, Melenchon is still in the running at this late stage, as the voters are souring on the candidates of the far-right and co-opted center.” (04/18/17)

“The Democratic Party has a lot riding on the 2018 midterm elections — and the early polling for President Donald Trump should provide its leaders with hope. In the last four midterm elections that ended with the party that controls the White House losing one or both houses of Congress, the president had an approval rating below 85 percent among members of his own party and approval ratings among independents that were no higher than in the low 40s percentage range, according to The Cook Political Report. It then pointed out that, according to a recent Gallup survey, Trump’s approval rating among Republicans is at 85 percent, but he is has a treacherous 33 percent rating among independents.” (04/03/17)

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